Food & Drink / Compounds / Bisphenol P (BPP)

Bisphenol P (BPP) in food: ingestion safety

Low risk

(People-specific data is limited; this page draws from human adult context.) Bisphenol P (BPP; CAS 2167-51-3) presents a low risk to human adults at current ambient exposure levels. BPP estrogenic activity is confirmed in vitro but is generally lower potency than BPA (which itself was re-evaluated to a 20,000-fold lower TDI by EFSA in 2023). No individual in vivo reproductive toxicology studies of sufficient scope to characterize a no-observed-adverse-effect level have been conducted for BPP. Ambient human exposure through food contact materials, indoor dust, and environmental sources is expected to be low. In the absence of established regulatory risk assessments for BPP individually, risk classification is based on class considerations and in vitro mechanistic data.

What is bisphenol p (bpp)?

The IUPAC name is 4-[2-[4-[2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propan-2-yl]phenyl]propan-2-yl]phenol.

Also known as: 4-[2-[4-[2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propan-2-yl]phenyl]propan-2-yl]phenol, Bisphenol P, 4,4'-(1,4-Phenylenediisopropylidene)bisphenol, 4-[1-[4-[1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-methyl-ethyl]phenyl]-1-methyl-ethyl]phenol.

IUPAC name
4-[2-[4-[2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propan-2-yl]phenyl]propan-2-yl]phenol
CAS number
2167-51-3
Molecular formula
C24H26O2
Molecular weight
346.5 g/mol
SMILES
CC(C)(C1=CC=C(C=C1)C(C)(C)C2=CC=C(C=C2)O)C3=CC=C(C=C3)O
PubChem CID
630355

Risk for people

Low risk

Bisphenol P (BPP; CAS 2167-51-3) presents a low risk to human adults at current ambient exposure levels. BPP estrogenic activity is confirmed in vitro but is generally lower potency than BPA (which itself was re-evaluated to a 20,000-fold lower TDI by EFSA in 2023). No individual in vivo reproductive toxicology studies of sufficient scope to characterize a no-observed-adverse-effect level have been conducted for BPP. Ambient human exposure through food contact materials, indoor dust, and environmental sources is expected to be low. In the absence of established regulatory risk assessments for BPP individually, risk classification is based on class considerations and in vitro mechanistic data.

Regulatory consensus

1 regulatory bodyhas classified Bisphenol P (BPP).

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
ECHA (Bisphenol P not individually classified for carcinogenicity; structural bisphenol analog with a 1,4-phenylenediisopropylidene bridge; estrogenic activity documented in ER-binding assays; limited regulatory toxicology assessment as individual compound; no carcinogenicity classification by IARC, EFSA, NTP, or US EPA; detected in environmental matrices and human biomonitoring samples in some studies as BPA substitute)2022no carcinogenicity classification; bisphenol structural analog with documented estrogenic activity; limited regulatory assessment; not classified by IARC, EFSA, NTP, or US EPA for carcinogenicity

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where you encounter bisphenol p (bpp)

  • Consumer Products — Plastic bottles and containers, Food packaging, Plastic toys and household items
  • Drinking Water — Leaching from plastic pipes, Migration from bottled water containers
  • Indoor Environments — Off-gassing from plastic furniture, Degradation of plastic products

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Bisphenol P (BPP):

  • NSF-certified activated carbon filtration
    Trade-offs: Does not remove all contaminants. Requires filter replacement.
    Relative cost: 2-5× conventional

Frequently asked questions

What products contain bisphenol p (bpp)?

Bisphenol P (BPP) appears in: Plastic bottles and containers (Consumer products); Food packaging (Consumer products); Leaching from plastic pipes (Drinking water); Migration from bottled water containers (Drinking water); Off-gassing from plastic furniture (Indoor environments).

See Bisphenol P (BPP) in the food app

Look up products containing bisphenol p (bpp), compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in food View raw API data

Sources (1)
  1. ECHA Bisphenol P CAS 2167-51-3 Structural Analog Estrogenic ER-Binding Activity; Limited Individual Regulatory Assessment; BPA Substitute Engineering Plastics Epoxy Resins; No IARC EFSA NTP EPA Carcinogenicity Classification; Environmental Detection Surface Water Sediment (2022) — regulatory

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →